Khwaja Usman
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Khawāja Uthmān Khān Lōhānī (), popularly known as Khwaja Usman, was a
Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
chieftain and warrior based in northeastern
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
. As one of the
Baro-Bhuyan The ''Baro-Bhuyans'' (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and ''Baro-Bhuiyans'') were confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loosel ...
s, he was a
zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...
ruling over the northern parts of Bengal, including Greater Mymensingh and later in South Sylhet. He was a formidable opponent to
Man Singh I Mirza Raja Man Singh I (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 24th Raja, Kachawaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber from 1589 to 1614. He also served as the foremost imperial Subahdar of Bihar Subah from 1587 to 1594, then for Ben ...
and the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
, and was the last of the
Afghan Afghan or Afgan may refer to: Related to Afghanistan *Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...
chieftains and rulers in Bengal. His defeat led to the surrender of all the remaining Pashtuns as well as the incorporation of the
Sylhet region Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...
into the
Bengal Subah The Bengal Subah (Bengali language, Bengali: সুবাহ বাংলা, ), also referred to as Mughal Bengal and Bengal State (after 1717), was one of the puppet states and the largest subah, subdivision of The Mughal India, Mughal Emp ...
. He is described as the most romantic figure in the
history of Bengal The history of Bengal is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It includes modern-day Bangladesh and the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
. His biography can be found in the
Baharistan-i-Ghaibi The ''Baharistan-i-Ghaibi'' (), written by Mirza Nathan, is a 17th-century chronicle on the history of Bengal, Cooch Behar, Assam and Bihar under the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627). Unlike other history books of the Mughal Empire, ...
,
Tuzk-e-Jahangiri ''Tuzk-e-Jahangiri'' () or ''Jahangirnama'' () is the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569–1627). The ''Tuzk-e-Jahangiri'' is written in Persian, and follows the tradition of his great-grandfather, Babur (1487–1530), who had writ ...
as well as the Akbarnama.


Early life

Usman Khan was born to a
Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
father, Khwaja Isa Khan, who belonged to the Miankhel clan of the Lohani tribe. His elder brother was Khwaja Sulayman, and his younger brothers were Wali, Malhi, and Ibrahim. Khwaja Isa Khan Lohani was the chief minister of the governor of Puri, Qutlu Khan Lohani, who was also Usman's uncle. Qutlu Khan Lohani was appointed to this role by the
Sultan of Bengal The Bengal Sultanate (Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a Post-classical history, late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges- ...
, Sulaiman Khan Karrani, who was also a Pashtun. Collectively known as the Eastern Afghan Confederates, the Usmans belonged to an influential community that gave allegiance to the
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
and
Bengal Sultanate The Bengal Sultanate (Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a Post-classical history, late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges- ...
s and opposed Mughal rule. The defeat of the sultanates led to the emergence of the
Baro-Bhuyan The ''Baro-Bhuyans'' (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and ''Baro-Bhuiyans'') were confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loosel ...
s of Bengal, a collection of independent chieftains who would unite in alliance to resist Mughal invasion. Following Qutlu's demise in 1590, there was rebellion among the Afghans. Nasir Khan Lohani had pledged allegiance to the Mughals. The governor of Bihar at the time,
Man Singh I Mirza Raja Man Singh I (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 24th Raja, Kachawaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber from 1589 to 1614. He also served as the foremost imperial Subahdar of Bihar Subah from 1587 to 1594, then for Ben ...
, defeated Nasir Lohani two years later due to his betrayal of the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
. Khwaja Isa Khan Lohani succeeded Qutlu as the leader of the Eastern Afghan Confederates and reigned for five years. After his death, Usman's elder brother, Khwaja Sulayman Khan Lohani, took charge.


Arrival in Bengal

Man Singh I later became the
Subahdar Subahdar, also known as Nazim, was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty, Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, and the Mughal era who was alternately designated as Sahib- ...
of
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
and attempted to weaken the influence of the Pashtuns.Sarkar, Jadunath (1984, reprint 1994). ''A History of Jaipur'', New Delhi: Orient Longman , pp.75-79 He gave Usman and Khwaja Sulaiman
jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...
s in Fatehabad in
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
, thinking it would get them out of Orissa. Usman, his three brothers, and other Pashtuns started off for Bengal. After Singh realised the rising influence of rebels in Bengal due to
Isa Khan Isa Khan (Middle Bengali: , 17 April 153629 August 1599) was one of 16th-century Baro-Bhuyan chieftains of Bengal. During his reign, he successfully unified the chieftains of Bengal and resisted the Mughal invasion of Bengal. It was only afte ...
's resistance against the Mughals, Singh cancelled the jagirs in order to stop more Pashtuns from migrating to Bengal. This cancellation angered Usman, leading to his invasion of South Bengal and capture of the fort in Satgaon. In 1593, Usman then continued east to Bhusna, where he defeated Chand ibn Kedar Rai on 11 February. Here, he formed an alliance with Isa Khan of Bhati, the leader of what was to become the Baro-Bhuyans. It is said that Usman also took shelter in Goyghor, South Sylhet, as he was hiding from Man Singh I, though this is unlikely as Usman entered Uhar much later.


Rule in Bokainagar

Working alongside Isa Khan, Usman was able to gain control of Greater Mymensingh with his capital at Bokainagar. For a short period of time, the Eastern Afghan Confederates regained North Orissa too. After the death of Emperor
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
in 1605, Usman was able to rebuild and develop Bokainagar Fort into a powerful military base consisting of 20,000 soldiers. Usman also established two other forts in Hasanpur and Yarasindur and took advantage of the
Brahmaputra River The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...
to separate himself from the Mughal territory in the west. He employed the Om brothers, a Hindu family from Khaliajuri, who assisted him in his missions. In 1596, Usman defeated Chand Rai of Sripur. He crossed the
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...
in winter 1607, where he defeated the Mughal
thana Thana means " station" or "place" in South Asian countries. The word ''thana'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''sthana'' or "sthanak", meaning "place" or "stand", which was anglicized as ''thana'' by the British. * Thanas of Bangladesh, forme ...
dars of Alapsingh, Sajawal Khan, and Baz Bahadur Qalmaq. Sajawal was killed, and Qalmaq fled to Bhawal. This news came to Man Singh I, who immediately set off from Dacca, and a day later battled Usman on the banks of the Banar River. Many of Usman's weapons and resources were looted in this battle, as well as the deaths of many Afghans. After the death of Isa Khan, his son, Musa Khan, rose to power. The plans of the insurgents were to launch an attack on the Mughal Empire and attempt to free Musa Khan and once again liberate Bhati. In 1606, Musa Khan, his brother Mahmud Khan, and other rebels surrendered to the Mughal
Subahdar Subahdar, also known as Nazim, was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty, Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, and the Mughal era who was alternately designated as Sahib- ...
of Bengal,
Islam Khan I Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (1570–1613; popularly known as Islam Khan Chisti) was a Mughal general and the Subahdar of Bihar and later Bengal. He transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Sonargaon and founded the city of Jahangirnagar. ...
. Other than Musa Khan, the other rebels were made to join the Mughal force travelling to Bokainagar to defeat Usman; who had now become the main target of the Empire. Anwar Khan, a former rebel ruling Baniachong, surrendered to Islam Khan I and said that he would aid the Mughals in defeating Usman as long as he can keep Baniachong. Islam Khan I initially accepted but later lost trust for Anwar, who in anger, marched from Jahangirnagar to Yarasindur. Anwar Khan came across Musa's brother Mahmud Khan and Bahadur Ghazi of Bhawal and made a new plot to fight the Mughals to support Usman. In October of the same year, Islam Khan appointed Shaykh Abdul Wahid and Shaykh Kamal Bayazid to march with a large army from Jahangirnagar to Hasanpur (Haybatnagar), which was just north of Usman's capital in Bokainagar. From Hasanpur, the Mughal army built a new fort every five days as they moved closer to Bokainagar. Usman and his forces would often launch surprise attacks at the fort-builders. When the Mughal camp pitched themselves at the eleventh fort, Usman and the Afghans came to oppose the Mughals and an affray took place with one of Usman's men,
Tatar Khan Naghir Tātār Khān Nāghir (; d. 1611) was a soldier of the Eastern Afghan Confederates, during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir. Although he fought against the Mughal Empire, Mughal documents such as the Baharistan-i-Ghaibi described him to have t ...
, being killed. At the eighteenth fort, Usman appeared with a small army to attack them once more. Shaykh Kamal ordered his troops not to respond and attempted to stop people from leaving the fort, however many were tempted and left the fort to fight Usman. The Mughals attained a victory by making use of the cannons at their fort and Usman's forces were heavily defeated; fleeing back to Bokainagar for safety. The Mughals continue their fort-building campaign.


Taraf and Usmangarh

After the Mughals had completed their nineteenth fort, they took a break with the approach of the Islamic month of
Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
in which they would observe
fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...
. Usman was informed that his allies, Dariya Khan Pani and Nasir Khan of Tajpur, had surrendered and joined the Mughal forces. Some Pashtuns of Tajpur followed their leaders and expressed support of the Mughals, while others joined Usman. With Usman's support from other chieftains decreasing, Usman and 250 Afghans evacuated their capital at Bokainagar; fleeing eastwards towards Greater Sylhet. The Mughals were busy with
Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...
celebrations on 7 December 1611, when they heard that Usman had fled Bokainagar. Immediately following the
Eid prayers Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid (), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with family and the larger ...
, the Mughals marched to Bokainagar where they stopped to await new commands and tactics following the unexpected fleeing of Usman. The
Sylhet region Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...
had the strongest Afghan insurgency in Bengal and Usman built alliances with the many Afghan chiefs there such as Anwar Khan of Baniachong, Bayazid Karrani II of
Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...
and Mahmud Khan. However, Anwar Khan of Baniachong had hopelessly surrendered in battle against Raja Satrajit of Bhusna; later being imprisoned and made blind. Usman reached
Taraf ''Taraf'' ("Side" in Turkish) was a liberal newspaper in Turkey. It had distinguished itself by opposing interference by the Turkish military in the country's social and political affairs. It was distributed nationwide, and had been in circula ...
where he appointed his son, Khwaja Mumriz, and brother, Khwaja Malhi to station themselves. Governing there, they established a lofty fort. Khwaja Wali was also stationed at a hill fort called Putia (Putijuri) on the foot of the Giripal in Bahubal. Usman then continued and reached the ''Ita Kingdom'' ruled by Raja Subid Narayan who he defeated in a battle. He then established his new capital in Uhar and managed to gain control of South Sylhet. Uhar came to be known as Usmangarh and Taraf also encompassed Usman's domain. Usman gifted the valleys near Pargana Satgaon to the Hindu Om family, who had aided him in defeating Subid Narayan. It is said a force was sent to
Cachar Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence, the pre-existing undivided Cachar district was split into four districts: Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills), Hailakandi, Karimganj, and the ...
from
Taraf ''Taraf'' ("Side" in Turkish) was a liberal newspaper in Turkey. It had distinguished itself by opposing interference by the Turkish military in the country's social and political affairs. It was distributed nationwide, and had been in circula ...
at an attempt to invade
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. In a campaign led by Haji Shamsuddin Baghdadi and the three brothers, Mirza Saqi, Baqi and Pattani, the Eastern Afghan Confederates at Taraf were defeated in a battle compared by the
Baharistan-i-Ghaibi The ''Baharistan-i-Ghaibi'' (), written by Mirza Nathan, is a 17th-century chronicle on the history of Bengal, Cooch Behar, Assam and Bihar under the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627). Unlike other history books of the Mughal Empire, ...
to the
Day of Resurrection In Islam, "the promise and threat" () of Judgement Day ( or ), is when "all bodies will be resurrected" from the dead, and "all people" are "called to account" for their deeds and their faith during their life on Earth. It has been called "the do ...
. Defeated in a fourth assault, the Afghans fled to Khwaja Usman at Uhar leading to the Mughal annexation of Taraf. Uhar had become Usman's final territory.


Final battle and death

The Mughals sent a messenger to Usman advising him to surrender and be loyal to the Mughal Empire. Usman replied to this message saying that he would like to make peace as long as he can tranquilly rule in Uhar, a place not yet conquered by the Mughal Empire. Not content with Usman's reply, Islam Khan I prepared a large army for another expedition to defeat Usman and annex Uhar. Mughal emperor
Jahangir Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...
appointed Shajaat Khan Chisti as the commander of the operation. However, Islam Khan I was keen to end Afghan power in Bengal and decided to commence the battle. He readied 500 of his own cavalry, 4,000 musketeers and large numbers of war horses and
war elephant A war elephant is an elephant that is Animal training, trained and guided by humans for combat purposes. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge (warfare), charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elep ...
s. Shona Ghazi of Sarail provided warships and Ihtimam Khan assembled an imperial force. Shaykh Achha and Iftikhar Khan Turkmen were placed on the wings. On 4 February 1612, the army reached
Taraf ''Taraf'' ("Side" in Turkish) was a liberal newspaper in Turkey. It had distinguished itself by opposing interference by the Turkish military in the country's social and political affairs. It was distributed nationwide, and had been in circula ...
and then Putia/Tupia. Khwaja Wali abandoned his Putia hill-fort before facing the approaching army, fleeing to Usman at Uhar. After the arrival of Malhi, Mumriz and Wali, Usman also prepared for war and allied with the local Sarhangs. He readied 2000 of his own cavalry, 5,000 infantry, and 40 war elephants. Usman was known for his tup-o-tufang style artillery. On his left, he appointed his brother Khwaja Wali with 1000 cavalry, 2000 infantry, and 30 war elephants. On his right, Usman appointed his slave Shir Maydan with 700 cavalry, 1000 infantry and 20 war elephants. Usman appointed his nephew Khwaja Dawud and his brothers Khwaja Malhi and Khwaja Ibrahim on the vanguard with 1500 cavalry, 2000 infantry and 50 war elephants. In two marches, Usman's army travelled from Uhar to the nearby village of Daulambapur in March 1612. They camped one and a half kos away from the Mughals and tactically entrenched themselves in a
nullah A nullah or nala (Hindustani language, Hindustani or "nallah" in Punjabi language, Punjabi) is an 'arm of the sea', stream, or watercourse, a steep narrow valley. Like the wadi of the Arabs, the nullah is characteristic of mountainous or hilly co ...
bank (jalah marsh). When Shajaat Khan heard of this, he positioned an
artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...
fastened to the
areca catechu ''Areca catechu'' is a species of palm native to the Philippines cultivated for areca nuts. It was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 1500 BCE due to its use in betel nut chewing. ...
trees that were opposite of Usman's marsh. This move made the two armies only one-half kos away from each other. Iftikhar Khan Turkmen approached Shajaat and pleaded him to once more send a peace message to Usman, who was a fellow Muslim. Shajaat agreed and another message was sent to Usman via Shihab Khan Lodi, one of Iftikhar's officers and an Afghan just like Usman. Usman was offered a chance to become a mansabdar of 5000 and be completely pardoned, if he personally submits himself to Emperor Jahangir, sends them all his tuskers and one of his sons or brothers as hostage in addition to paying them rent. Usman was infuriated by the message and Shihab returned to Shajaat. Shihab Khan Lodi also discovered a safe passage which was useful in the upcoming battle. Usman made all his flags and elephant banners a similar colour to the Mughals as tactic to confuse them in battle. The next morning on 12 March 1612, the battle commenced. The Mughals were close to securing an swift victory but Mirza Bey Aymaq had mistakenly exclaimed that Usman's army were on the right side. The Mughal vanguard turned right except the groups under Kishwar Khan (left command), Miran Sayyid Husayni, Sayyid Adam and Shona Ghazi. Some of Usman's infantry crossed to the Mughal side of the marsh and they were met by Shaykh Achha, Sabit Khan and Mustafa. This caused confusion among the Mughal artillery who started firing from every side. Shaykh Achha was killed by being shot on the back, and Sabit and Mustafa fled the spot. Iftikhar Khan Turkmen had also led 42 cavalry and 14 infantry to attack Usman's infantry who had crossed the marsh. However, a Mughal elephant called Ranasingar started attacking one of Iftikhar's elephants, and to avoid any more accidents Iftikhar's soldiers did not follow him. Left on his own, Iftikhar crossed Shihab's safe passage and launched himself on Khwaja Wali. Usman intercepted the affray, saving Wali from Iftikhar and was said to have rebuked Wali and called him a child. Usman, sitting on the howdah of an elephant, then proceeded with some of his infantry with Bakhta (a famous elephant which Jahangir calls ''Gajpat'') at the front. At this moment, the Mughal driver of Ranasingar managed to calm Ikftikhar's other elephant and crossed the marsh to aid Iftikhar. Many of Iftikhar's soldiers were killed by Usman's and Usman's forces encircled and cut the drivers into pieces. The central force, led by Shajaat Khan, was then defeated although Shajaat managed to escape. Just as the defeat of the
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
seemed certain, Iftikhar Khan's devoted soldier, Sheikh Abdul Jalil, rode his horse towards Usman. Both of them aimed their crossbows at each other and fired. An arrow hit Usman's left eye, striking through his brain as Usman shot Abdul Jalil's chest. Usman tried to pull the arrow out of his eye, causing his right eye to come out too. Usman became blind and covered himself with a handkerchief. He gestured his elephant driver, Umar, to find and attack Shajaat. Umar, who did not realise the condition of his chief, told Usman that Shajaat is near the Mughal flag under the Mahua tree. Usman, no longer able to speak, tapped Umar's back as a gesture to proceed towards Shajaat. Fighting continued throughout the day, with Usman's other soldiers not knowing of their chief's condition. Usman died later, after also losing his speech. Usman's family and the Sarhangs brought his dead body back to Uhar and buried it at an unmarked spot between two hills. A false tomb was also created outside Usman's palace. Usman was succeeded as chief by his elder son Khwaja Mumriz, who was then pressured into relinquishing power to his uncle, Khwaja Wali. He sent his minister Wali Mandu Khel and Usman's youngest son Khwaja Yaqub to notify Shajaat of Usman's death and to offer surrender. To formalise a surrender, the
Afghans Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...
gifted all 49 elephants and jewels to the Mughal Empire. The Mughals honoured Usman's relatives and the surrendered Afghans with gifts and a feast.


Legacy

In 2009, the ''
Prothom Alo ''Prothom Alo'' () is a Bengali language, Bengali-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka. It is one of the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. According to the National Media Survey of 2018, conducted by Kantar MRB ...
'' reported that Usmangarh (Usman's estate) and its adjoining hills which were considered government land were being taken over by land-grabbers. The illegal occupiers had built shops and planted trees in the governmental territory but were not prosecuted due to their close links with the
Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...
- Bangladesh's ruling political party. 30% of the land, including Usman's fort, was said to have been illegally occupied by local Awami League member Jamshed Miah. Other occupiers included Sundar Ali, Alta Miah, Durud Miah, Faruq Miah and Mubasshir Ali who were accused of opening shops and digging hills in the area. In 2017, Khwaja Usman's tomb was finally marked and identified with official recognition at 10pm on 17 May 2017 in the village of Usmangarh in Patanushar. The area of the fort and nearby hills are in close proximity to the Tilagarh Primary School playground. Located in the western part of Usman's estate, the tomb was restored by the Bir Pathan Khwaja Osman Khan Memorial Implementation Council. Many notable individuals were present at the inauguration such as Usman's descendant Mawlana Ghazi Muhammad Sirajul Islam Suruki Lohani who was the President of the named Council. Others present were Shuaybur Rahman (a
successor Successor may refer to: * An entity that comes after another (see Succession (disambiguation)) Film and TV * ''The Successor'' (1996 film), a film including Laura Girling * The Successor (2023 film), a French drama film * ''The Successor'' ( ...
of Fultoli) and Shaykh Muhammad Misir Mian (a noted
freedom fighter A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government. The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in armed or otherwise violent rebellion. Termi ...
). The Goyghor Mosque in Moulvibazar is also named after Usman as the Historical Khwaja's Mosque. , -


See also

*
History of Sylhet The Greater Sylhet district region predominantly included the Sylhet Division in Bangladesh, and Karimganj district in Assam, India. The history of the Sylhet region begins with the existence of expanded commercial centres in the area that is ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Usman, Khwaja Bengali zamindars Rulers of Sylhet 1612 deaths Afghan Sunni Muslims Indian people of Pashtun descent People from Ghor Province People from Kamalganj Upazila People from Mymensingh District 16th-century Indian Muslims 17th-century Indian Muslims Pashtun people 17th-century Afghan people Indian revolutionaries Afghan warlords Eastern Afghan Confederates